Rocky photographers

Maddeck Swearhart in action this last fall

“Football has shaped who I am,” says Maddeck Swearhart, a sophomore quarterback here at Rocky Mountain High school. For him, football was never just a sport but instead a huge part of his life and who he is as a person.

Swearhart’s football journey started early in life. He states, “My earliest memories all have something to do with football”. After playing flag and Optimist, football has always been the sport that’s stuck with him. Even after competing for years in baseball and wrestling, football is the one thing that stayed the same. This is also due to his older brother, Brody Swearhart, who Maddeck says is “the person I’ve always looked up to as a brother and football player. He’s always there for me.”

Fully committed to his team, Maddeck, known as ‘Red’ to many of his teammates and coaches, states the goal of his football season was, “Rocky going all the way and winning the JV championship”. With a final score of 24-14 Rocky JV did just that defeating Mountain View and taking the top honors of the 2025 season.

Swearhart understood the importance of working with the other players and was glad he could do so this season. He explained, “Were not just a team but a tight community and family to each other”

Another personal goal for him was as stated, “2000 yard passing and 20+ touchdowns by the end of the season.” He went on to achieve both goals in a matter of 12 weeks. When asked if it was difficult to get there he explained, “it was definitely hard but being surrounded by other great football players made it easier to stay motivated.”

Swearhart’s mindset when facing the football field immediately changes. He’s captain of junior varsity and nearly every offensive play starts with him, this often leads to a mass amount of pressure during the game. With every play and pass he gets his team closer to another win.

When asked about playing from the players’ perspective, Swearhart states, “Playing football feels crazy; you see students watching, the noise from the crowd, and pressure from teammates. Staying focused to not to screw up while trying to play hard enough to win. I’m constantly trying to make my coaches and family proud.”

Ava Marsden, Sophomore, states, “It’s cool watching how he plays in a game, you can tell the determination he has from the stands”. She later goes on explaining Swearhart off the field stating, “He’s a pretty chill guy, not much to stay on him besides that.” This is a popular opinion among many students in the sophomore grade, excluding his close friends who would differ from the statement.

Football is a sport that requires dedication, hard work, and mental strength. Maddeck Swearhart is an athlete that embodies all these attributes as well as being a good Rocky student academically. With 2 years of football yet to come it’s exciting to think where Swearhart will take his football career at Rocky Mountain Highschool and into the future.